


midnight on the twenty-sixth

by mattsunsthighs



Series: Unconditional [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, Post-Canon, combination of prompts from matsuhana week, day 4: at midnight + day 6: love is never ever simple, epilogue to the Unconditional Series, please take care when reading, the homophobia is heaviest at the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:39:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5078131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mattsunsthighs/pseuds/mattsunsthighs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[12:04 am EST = 1:04 pm JST]</p><p>"All that matters is that I love you, 'Hiro."</p>
            </blockquote>





	midnight on the twenty-sixth

**Author's Note:**

> **Please note that a big part of this fic involves homophobic behavior from immediate family, especially in the first half. Take care of yourselves and please read at your own comfort!**
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> now with [84% more angst](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MvhmPc_0dM) pls enjoy friends.

The sharp click of a door being pulled closed jerked Issei out of his light sleep. He lifted his head blearily off of his pillow and glanced around, trying to make sense of what he was seeing and hearing in his barely-awake state.

The glow of the city lights filtering through the curtains of the large window, that was normal. The low rumble of the nightlife in the upper east side creating a nice mix of white noise, that was normal too. The alarm clock displaying the time, four minutes past midnight, in bright green numbers that seared his retinas, also normal. The large, warm bed he occupied, empty on one side with the blankets pushed aside, that was... not normal.

Issei set his sleep-addled gaze on the half of the bed that was unoccupied, trying to make sense of the pushed back duvet and the empty sheets, gone cold in the absence of bodily warmth. As he attempted to wake himself up further, his brain registered the other sounds in the apartment that had woken him.

Beyond the bedroom door, he could hear a muffled voice that sounded irritated judging by the tone, and having what Issei figured was an argument over the phone, considering the way the voice paused every now and then. It took him a few seconds to notice that the argument was in Japanese, rather than in English. An unpleasant weight settled in his stomach at the realization, waking him up fully, and he pushed himself up to a sitting position, swinging his feet over to rest on the slightly chilled hardwood floor.

 Issei sat there, bent over with his elbows resting on his legs, toying with the thin chain tucked under his shirt, trying in vain to not pay attention to the angry words coming from the other side of the door, rising in volume before becoming hushed again, and instead tried to focus on the weight of the silver ring hanging from the chain around his neck. After several minutes he heard a quiet scoff of disgust, coupled with a sharp thud of what he presumed was a phone being thrown down, and a tense silence that settled thickly in the air.

Forcing his sleep-heavy body to move, Issei stood up and padded across the paneled floor to the door, knowing already what he was going to find on the other side.

Outside in the living room, which was also bathed in the muted glow of the city lights filtering through the thin curtains framing the bay window, stood a tense figure, shorter than Issei was, with his head bent forward and his silhouetted hands clenched in tight fists at his side. Issei could see his form shaking slightly.

Gaze focused on him, Issei walked over to where he stood, and silently wrapped his arms around the other’s bare torso, while he buried his face in pale, strawberry blond hair, placing a light kiss to the side of his head. At his touch, Takahiro relaxed somewhat, his body stilling, all the angry fire seeming to leave his body with the contact. Issei moved to rest his head on his shoulder, and pushed his nose to the crook between Takahiro's neck and shoulder, causing the thin metal chain that circled his neck to dig into their skin.

“Hey, Issei,” Takahiro mumbled, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” His voice sounded rough and hitched slightly on the last word. Issei tightened his embrace, and raised his head to pepper small reassuring kisses to Takahiro’s temple, one hand coming up and threading through his soft hair to cradle the other side of his head.

"Don't worry about it," Issei whispered against skin, his voice low and slightly muffled, "I'll be fine. Are you okay, ‘Hiro?" A pregnant pause followed, during which Issei continued to hold Takahiro comfortingly in his safe, strong arms. They both knew the answer to that question, it was the same answer every time, but Issei always asked that same question after every phone call with Takahiro’s mother.

Takahiro turned around to face Issei and leaned into his chest, wrapping his arms around Issei to grip tightly at his broad shoulders and tucking his head under his chin, and let out a long heavy sigh that stuttered at the end as he attempted to suppress a small sob.

"Even when we're half a world away, she still manages to tell me how much of an abomination I am and how I’ve disgraced the family. As if she hasn’t done that enough times already, like I need her constantly reminding me.” Takahiro said in a broken whimper against Issei’s clavicle, “The least she could do is not call in the middle of the night, or even better, not call at all and just finally leave me the hell alone. Cut ties completely and let me live my life in peace."

Issei hummed low in his throat in agreement, not trusting his voice to work properly. He hated it when Takahiro’s mother called because it always sent Takahiro into a depressed downward spiral that could last for days after. It had been like this for years, ever since they moved to New York, all because Takahiro’s youngest sister had spotted them kissing a few weeks before their college graduation, and had run to tell Hanamaki-san before either of them could stop her.

It had taken a long time for Issei to stop hating the eight year old after that. It hadn’t been her fault, not really; she hadn’t known any better, and they hadn’t been careful enough in making sure that Takahiro’s family was nowhere in sight.

Takahiro’s body shook in his arms, and Issei felt hot tears drip onto his neck in quick succession and slide down to stain the collar of his tshirt. Sliding his hands up over Hiro’s shoulders and down his arms to clasp his shaking hands within his own tanner ones, Issei led his distraught boyfriend over to the low couch across from where Takahiro had thrown his cell phone earlier, and settled against the soft worn material. Issei pulled him into his lap and let him wrap pale arms around his solid form, feeling Takahiro settle his head against his shoulder, and press his face into the hollow of his neck. Tears pricking at the corner of his own eyes, Issei tightened his hold on Takahiro and rubbed his hand up and down his back in slow, calming strokes, pressing steadying kisses into his hair as deep shuddering sobs wracked through Takahiro’s body.

“Shh, ‘Hiro, I’ve got you, I’ve got you…” Issei whispered into the crown of his head, rocking their bodies slowly in an effort to soothe Takahiro’s erratic gasping, switching between whispered reassuring words and light kisses.

After several moments, a light clinking of metal on metal reached his ears, and he glanced down to see Takahiro fiddling with the ring that hung on the chain around his neck. His sobs had calmed somewhat, and his shoulders were shaking with stuttering breaths in an attempt to even out his breathing. Issei watched in silence as Takahiro reached for the matching chain around his own neck, pulling it out from where it was tucked beneath the fabric of his shirt, and let the rings hanging off the chains to sit in his palm side by side.

Issei watched Takahiro quietly examine their rings for a while. They weren’t anything fancy, just a pair of plain silver wedding rings that had their names engraved inside the bands, and were gently reflecting the lights of the city that streamed through the window.

They weren’t exactly in pristine condition, the one on Takahiro’s chain was a bit beat up, with a few scratches on the surface, and the shine was duller than a new ring. Issei’s had a pale blue hue on the surface that was leftover from a mishap with clothing dye in the washing machine, and it had a dent on one side, making the shape appear more oblong than perfectly round.

Takahiro’s face was angled down so that Issei couldn’t see his expression, his gaze trained on the silver rings in his hand, unmoving, and that made Issei’s heart clench. Removing one hand from where it sat around Takahiro’s shoulder, Issei plucked the rings from his hand, letting them rest side by side in his own palm, and looked at them for a few seconds before he spoke, his voice rough from sleep and disuse.

“You remember the time when you wore this during our skiing trip in New Hampshire with Iwaizumi and Oikawa last winter, even though I told you you should’ve left it back in our room at the lodge?”

Takahiro let out a soft snort at his words, eyes not leaving the bands in Issei’s palm, confirming that yes, he did remember.

“You were fiddling with it while we were on the ski lift, playing with the chain, and the chain snapped because the cold air made it brittle. The ring slipped off the chain and fell from the lift onto the slope below us. You went crazy and the four of us searched that mountain for hours looking for it. The snow on that part of the mountain wasn’t as packed down as the rest of the slopes, so we were digging around in powder snow. When one of the resort employees said we were better off just replacing it with a new one, you got so mad and started yelling at them,” Issei rested his forehead against Takahiro’s temple, his breath puffing out warm on Takahiro’s ear, “Do you remember what you said to them?”

“I said-,” Takahiro paused, clearing his throat, “I said that I couldn’t just replace it, because you and I had gotten these rings together when we were still in university back in Miyagi. These rings saw the fallout with my family, saw us graduate from uni and come here to start a new life together, were with us during the tough times we faced here in America as we learned the language and struggled our way through an unfamiliar environment with an unfamiliar culture. I said that to replace these rings would be like discarding those years of our relationship and acting like they never happened.” Takahiro snorted again, this time in slight amusement as he raised his face to look Issei in the eyes, “I’m pretty sure the guy though I was a little batshit,” Takahiro laughed again at the memory, this one lighter and more genuine, as a small smile made its way onto his face, and Issei felt his heart leap at the sight.

Letting the two silver rings fall from his palm to swing from the chains around their necks, Issei raised his hand to cup at Takahiro’s jaw and turned his head so he could look him right in his beautiful grey eyes, shining ever so slightly in the minimal light from the street below.

“And after several long, cold, miserable hours of searching on that damn slope, Iwaizumi found your ring, lying in the snow near one of the suspension poles of the ski lift. I remember you were so damn happy that we found it, you looked like you would probably cry right there on the mountain.”

At that, Takahiro’s face fell from the the light smile that had been forming, into a scandalized pout, and Issei couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his abrupt change in facial expression.

“Excuse me, but the only person who cried on that mountain was Tooru when he was finally able to go back inside the lodge,” Takahiro said indignantly, pout still in place. Issei laughed again and, using his hold on Takahiro’s jaw, pulled his boyfriend in for a slow kiss. Issei reveled in the feeling of Takahiro’s soft lips on his own for a few moments before he pulled away, keeping their eyes locked.

“My point is, even though it seemed hopeless and we thought we probably wouldn’t find your ring in the snow, we did. It was long, miserable work with tough obstacles but you know what?” Issei held Takahiro’s gaze for a few silent minutes before continuing, “We did it, we found your ring, and you held on to it more tightly and more carefully than you did before right?” Takahiro gave a couple of short nods, and Issei wound his arms back around his shoulders and pulled him close to his chest again.

“So what I’m saying here is, it doesn’t matter what obstacles are placed in our path, nor does it matter how many of them we face multiple times. So what if your crazy mother throws a fit? That doesn’t matter, none of that means a damn thing. The only thing that matters is that I love you, ‘Hiro, and nothing will change that. I love you, and I promise you that I will marry you.”

At this point, Issei’s voice had lowered to a soft whisper in Takahiro’s ear, and hearing him say those things like that almost made Takahiro start crying again. Instead of crying, though, he pulled Issei in for another kiss, and Takahiro allowed himself to get lost in the way Issei’s lips moved over his own, warm and soft and amazing, their breath mingling together in small gasps. Pulling away slowly with a light suck on Issei’s lower lip, Takahiro held his gaze, and for a few moments, simply lost himself in Issei’s blue eyes.

“I will marry you,” Takahiro began, “on one condition.”

Issei watched him with slightly baited breath, waiting for whatever Takahiro was about to say.

“I get to flick the garter at Tooru's face.”

Issei blinked, and then he was laughing more freely than he had all night. Soon they were both laughing, and they did not stop for several minutes. When they finally regained control of themselves, Issei kissed him roughly on the cheek, smiling broadly, “Fine, you damn cream puff, so long as I get to throw the bouquet at the back of his head.”

“Let’s try to throw both at him at the same time,” Takahiro said, as his smile became more and more mischievous at the thought of throwing flowers and lace at their friend’s head.

“‘Hiro, you are nothing but trouble.”

“That makes two of us, Eyebrows.”

In response, Issei waggled his eyebrows up and down, which caused Takahiro to lose himself in another bout of laughter, but was shortly cut off by a hugely spectacular yawn right in Issei’s face.

“Charming, ‘Hiro,” Issei quipped as Takahiro got up from his lap and then helped him stand from the couch.

“I do try.”

Extending his hand out to Issei, Takahiro took his hand in his own, linking their fingers together, as they walked back to their bedroom hand in hand.

* * *

 

When Takahiro next woke, it was to sunlight streaming directly in through the window and onto his unprepared face. Letting out a grumpy squawk, he tugged the blankets up and over his head, hiding himself completely from the evils of morning. However his peace was short lived, because right then, the bedroom door flew open with so much gusto it bounced back against the wall. Turning his head and poking his face out from beneath his warm haven of blankets, Takahiro was met with the sight of Issei, talking rapidly on the phone in loud, excited Japanese, with a huge grin and tear tracks shining on his face.

“Yea I know, I just saw the news, Tooru! I can’t believe it, oh my god! ‘Hiro, get up, you won’t believe what just happened in DC!”

The blankets suddenly disappeared from on top of Takahiro, Issei having just flung them from the bed apparently, and was now being pulled off the bed by his babbling boyfriend, and out into the living room, where the tv was on and set to one of the news channels. As Takahiro reoriented himself from his very abrupt wake up call, he stared at the tv screen, only half registering Oikawa’s shrill blubbering coming from Issei’s phone next to him, until he finally processed what he was seeing.

 

**SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE NATIONWIDE**

 

Takahiro blinked several times, unsure if whether his eyes were playing tricks on him or not. He turned his head slowly to look at Issei, who was looking at him with so much love in his eyes that Takahiro’s stomach did a flip.

“Issei-”

He never got to finish his sentence, because the next thing he knew, Issei had pulled him into his arms and kissed him fully and completely, hands at either side of Takahiro’s jaw, cradling his head and Takahiro threw his arms around Issei’s neck. He was vaguely aware of Oikawa’s, and who he naturally assumed was Iwaizumi’s, crying from the phone Issei still held in his hand, clutched near Takahiro’s ear.

When Issei pulled away, Takahiro saw that he had the biggest smile on his face he had ever seen. Reaching for the chain around his neck, Issei pulled his up over his head and undid the clasp, letting the ring slide off and fall freely into his palm, before doing the same with the chain on Takahiro’s neck. His heart feeling like it had leapt up and lodged itself in his throat, Takahiro watched as Issei gently took his hand and held his ring, which had previously hung by a chain around his neck for several years, close to the fourth finger of his left hand. Takahiro’s breathing became shallow, and his legs felt weak, as he kept his eyes on Issei, who’s face was mere inches from his own, and was looking at him with the most excited and loving look he had ever seen.

“Takahiro,” Issei breathed out, and Takahiro swore that his heart stopped right there, “Will… will you marry me? Will you make me the happiest and luckiest man ever and… and marry me?”

Heart in his throat and voice not working properly, Takahiro just nodded, again and again, as a grin spread wide over his face until his face hurt, but none of that mattered now, because Issei was finally, _finally_ , sliding his ring onto his left hand.

At this point, Takahiro’s vision was completely blurred from tears as he took Issei’s ring and held it near his left hand like Issei had just done.

“Issei, will you… become my husband? After everything we went through together to get to this point, will you…?”

His voice died on him before he could finish his question, but Issei was already nodding, tears flowing freely from his eyes again as Takahiro finally slid his ring onto his left hand, where it always belonged.

Takahiro could hear distant cheering of people celebrating the ruling out on the street below, hiccuping congratulations from Oikawa and Iwaizumi over the phone, the tv reporters sharing the details of the court's desicion, but none of that mattered now. Not anymore, because Issei - _his fiancee_ \- was pulling him close so that their foreheads touched, lost in each other’s eyes.

“No matter what, the only thing that matters is that I love you, ‘Hiro, and I always will.”

“As will I.”

And they did.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, I hope you guys enjoyed this!
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> beep boop i have a [tumblr](dumbass-oikawa.tumblr.com)


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